Conan Businge and Isabel Pike
2 July 2009
Kampala — FAKE goods worth over sh120b have been seized from traders and importers in the last five years.
The quality assurance manager of Uganda National Bureau of Standards, Deus Mubangizi, disclosed that most of them were "high risk goods."
High risk goods are those that have high safety implications to the consumer, such as foods, construction materials and electrical equipment.
In an interview with The New Vision yesterday, Mubangizi said most of the impounded goods were seized at Uganda's entry points. A total of 3,000 consignments of imports, each estimated at sh40m, were confiscated.
Impounding of goods is done at three stages; at importation, on the local market and during production in factories.
Mubangizi said more than 200 tonnes of goods, each tonne estimated at sh2m, were confiscated from the market and stores. However, he said it was not easy to estimate the cost of fake goods seized from factories.
"We always order factories to recycle, or re-work on substandard goods, making it difficult to determine their monetary value," Mubangizi added.
Mubangizi said more fake goods are getting on the Ugandan market.
Due to financial constraints, only 18 of the 52 country's border entry points are manned by the bureau, according to official records.
Mubangizi said the bureau carries out random surveillances on goods since it is "grossly understaffed." He added that they depend heavily on informers whom they give small rewards such as airtime.
Yesterday, the executive director, Dr. Terry Kahuma, also said the bureau was under-resourced.
Kahuma was meeting members of the parliamentary committee on trade and industry at the bureau's headquarters in Nakawa, Kampala.
"We have 218 staff and seven inspection pick-ups for the whole country," Kahuma disclosed.
He said the bureau needed 800 staff by 2011, adding that it would require an additional sh1b annually for recruitment.
Kahuma asked the MPs to agitate for increased funding for the bureau. Government's funding has always been below half of the bureau's proposed budget, he said.
The MPs noted that although the funds given to the bureau were still not enough, they had been increased over the years.
"This shows that the Government understands the importance of the UNBS," said MP Anna Auru (Moyo).
Of the proposed sh13.6b last year, the Government allocated the bureau sh7.7b. The bureau wants the Government to give it sh12.5b annually.
Kahuma also asked the MPs to amend laws to strengthen the bureau's mandate.
The bureau is only permitted to handle fake goods, but not counterfeit. Counterfeit products are those that use other goods' factory names, factory addresses, product names or product marks.
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